Miles Davis Blue Haze CD

This CD reissue features trumpeter Miles Davis with three different pick-up recording groups that are full of fellow all-stars. 'Tune Up,' 'Miles Ahead,' 'When Lights Are Low' (which uses slightly different chord changes than its composer Benny Carter originally intended) and 'Smooch' find Davis joined by pianist John Lewis (Charles Mingus plays piano on 'Smooch'), bassist Percy Heath and drummer Max Roach. With pianist Horace Silver, bassist Heath and drummer Art Blakey offering solid accompaniment, Davis introduces 'Four' and performs 'Old Devil Moon' and 'Blue Haze.' Finally, with altoist Dave Schildkraut, Silver, Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke, Miles jams through 'I'll Remember April.' Although not as essential as the trumpeter's classic quintet records of 1955-56, several of the performances (most notably 'Tune Up' and 'Four') are quite memorable and the straight ahead playing is of

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Davey Schildkraut (alto saxophone); John Lewis, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Max Roach, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke (drums).
Principally recorded on May 19, 1953 and March 10, 1954. Originally released on Prestige (7054). Includes original release liner notes by Ira Gitler.
This CD reissue features trumpeter Miles Davis with three different pickup recording groups that are full of fellow all-stars. "Tune-Up," "Miles Ahead," "When Lights Are Low" (which uses slightly different chord changes than its composer Benny Carter originally intended), and "Smooch" find Davis joined by pianist John Lewis (Charles Mingus plays piano on "Smooch"), bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Max Roach. With pianist Horace Silver, bassist Heath, and drummer Art Blakey offering solid accompaniment, Davis introduces "Four" and performs "Old Devil Moon" and "Blue Haze." Finally, with altoist Dave Schildkraut, Silver, Heath, and drummer Kenny Clarke, Miles jams through "I'll Remember April." Although not as essential as the trumpeter's classic Quintet records of 1955-1956, several of the performances (most notably "Tune-Up" and "Four") are quite memorable, and the straight-ahead playing is of consistently high quality. ~ Scott Yanow
BLUE HAZE documents two Prestige sessions from May 1953 and March 1954 (plus "I'll Remember April," with altoist Davey Schildkraut, from the April 3, 1954 session that yielded half of WALKIN'). During this time, a resurgent Miles Davis began to zero in on his own style and sound, taking significant steps away from the rhythmic/harmonic devices of his mentor Dizzy Gillespie. Paralleling his recorded work for Blue Note, Miles was also working with some of the greatest rhythm players in the history of jazz. BLUE HAZE finds Miles as the lone featured horn.
"When Lights Are Low" is one of Benny Carter's most famous melodies, and the song-like cadences suit the ripe, chipper tone of Miles' horn. John Lewis' monkish chords signal the sprightly head to "Tune Up," as Percy Heath and Max Roach groove manfully along. "Miles Ahead" is derived from Miles' earlier "Milestones" (neither of which should be confused with subsequent titles and tunes for Columbia). Miles' loping solo illustrates his leisurely ease in constructing a melody, but his dancing eights with Roach illuminate what fires simmer beneath the surface.
Cut by cut, BLUE HAZE documents the trumpeter's search for his ideal rhythm mates. Thanks to Heath, Art Blakey and especially Horace Silver, Miles now sounds far more relaxed, swinging and rhythmically complex on his famous melody "Four." Their interplay on "Old Devil Moon" is a study in give and take, tension and release. And aroused as he is by Heath's booming blues beat, Blakey's ghostly sizzle cymbal and Silver's taut accompaniment, Miles turns the title tune into as expressive a film noir blues as you're likely to hear this side of Raymond Chandler.